Leadership ain’t just some fancy management skill, it’s a HUMAN EXPERIENCE. That’s right, we’re all humans here (except for the robots in accounting, but we don’t talk about them). We can’t treat our employees like they’re just cogs in a machine – that’s so last century! Nowadays, we gotta make our organizations more HUMAN. And how do we do that? By getting to know our people beyond their boring resumes. Find out what they like, what they’re good at, what they want out of life. Heck, maybe even join them for a round of karaoke after work! Trust me, once you start treating your employees like real human beings, your organization will go from good to freakin’ GREAT. And if all else fails, just bribe them with donuts or vadapav. (Or a run to the newest brewery)Works every time.
Lead with EQ.
Get ready to meet the cool kids in town, the emotionally intelligent leaders! Imagine leaders who have superpowers to move people with their words and actions. They easily get unconditional support from their followers, and they can even connect emotionally with their team mates. It’s like they have this ’emotional radar’ that can detect the feelings of people around them. These magical beings are called leaders with high Emotional Quotient or EQ. So, what is EQ anyway? Think of it as the Jedi mind trick of leadership – it’s the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. So, yes folks, EQ is not just about being touchy-feely, it’s a legit leadership superpower!
We’re not living in the stone age anymore where being a brutal taskmaster was all the rage. Nope – today, leading with empathy is key to keeping your team’s happy and functioning like a well-oiled machine. Plus, with the world getting smaller and more diverse, it’s important to connect with our fellow humans on a level deeper than just a paycheck. You see, when bosses lack empathy, they basically light a match and toss it on the entire workplace – it’s only a matter of time before things go up in flames. So let’s all get in touch with our feelings and show a little kindness to our colleagues. Trust us, it’ll pay off in the end.
When it comes to empathy, who you want to be, connect with head or heart or both. You decide.
Cognitive empathy.
Okay, lets start right here. If you want to succeed at being a top-notch leader, you gotta learn to use your brain power for good with some cognitive empathy. It’s the ultimate tool for solving conflicts and satisfying your customers’ needs like it’s nobody’s business.
But what the heck is cognitive empathy anyways? Well, it’s like you become a mind-reader and can pick up on other people’s thoughts and emotions. It’s like you’re a psychic – minus all the crystal balls and tarot cards.
So, if you wanna be the hero your office needs, then you gotta get your cognitive empathy game on point. It’s time to channel your inner Dumbledore and become the greatest wizard in all the land *cue magical music*.
I know you guys like to pat yourself on the back for practicing cognitive empathy, but watch out for selective cognitive empathy! You know, that natural tendency to only agree with people who think just like you and to viciously despise those who don’t share your views? Yep, that’s the one! As humans, we love to feel that warm and fuzzy empathy towards those who are similar to us. But hold up, don’t go showing favoritism to your office BFF just because they share your obsession with cat memes! That can lead to all sorts of problems. And let’s be real, nobody wants to be the boss who only cares about their clique. So, keep an open mind and try to empathize with those who are different from you. Who knows, you might even learn something new!
Emotional empathy.
Let’s go deeper. Let’s talk about emotional empathy. This is when you have the superpower to feel all the feels that other people are feeling and almost become a human emoji. It’s like you have a sixth sense for emotion. Are they happy? So are you! Are they sad? Welp, time to cue the waterworks! But it’s not just about feeling the same way as someone else, it’s also about responding in a way that matches the situation. Like, if someone just found out their pet turtle won a beauty contest (yes, that’s a thing), you’re not going to react with a heavy heart and tissues.
Emotional empathy helps us connect with others and build relationships based on understanding and support. You can be the person to swoop in and make someone’s day better by sharing in their joy or helping them bounce back from a tough time. And let’s be real, who wouldn’t want to have that superpower in their back pocket? So go forth and empathize, my friends. You’ll be making the world a better emotional place one feeling at a time.
Respect for ourselves guides our jolliest wanderings through the ups and downs of life! After all, who doesn’t love a good self-hug and pep talk? Treat yourself like the fabulous unicorn you are and watch the magic unfold. And don’t forget to sprinkle a dash of respect on those around you too, because flying solo is no fun when you could be galloping in a herd of awesomeness.
When peeps at work show empathy, it’s like putting people over boring ol’ rules and regs. And let me tell you, that’s when all the good stuff happens. Communication gets better than a fresh batch of grandma’s cookies, creativity and innovation flow like a raging river (but without the danger of drowning), teams become more epic than a Marvel movie, and departments start hangin’ like they’re at a cool party (except without the sweaty dancing and awkward small talk).
Basically, everyone’s treated like they’re the missing piece to our puzzle – even Dave from accounting. No one’s better than anybody else (except for me, ’cause I’m obviously the coolest). And when that happens, it’s like stumbling into a wonderland of awesomeness where everyone’s jazzed to come to work. So let’s all be a little bit more empathetic, folks. It’s a win-win situation. And as a leader you score more hearts. And you followers scoring that epic score for you. Kinda filmy, but why not.
Jokes apart. If you are serious about learning how to lead with empathy, I have made a short leadership course on the subject. Check it out. And if you love digging my ideas check out my works from my official page.